M.I.Cynic

Welcome back fellow cynics as your co-hosts Thomas Brancato and Jorge Shaft continue our weekly roundup series, Cynical Talk. This week we take a look at the Global LGBT Divide. We discuss & critique London Pride 2022 (including corporate practices), differences in global attitudes towards acceptance of homosexuality (including Islamic-majority nations), historical sodomy laws (Oscar Wilde, Alan Turing), the conflation between homosexuality and the West, colonial-era laws, the failure of exporting human rights, recent backlash including the "Buzz Lightyear" film & Saudi ban on rainbows, ignorance of homosexuality in international politics, the legacy of colonialism translating to inaction on transnational LGBT issues, Pride and the Trans movement, identity and biological sex, finally landing on gender reassignment surgery vis-à-vis State duties. Cynical Talk is a more light-hearted spin on the main M.I.Cynic series, with an impromptu and provocative take on contemporary topics. Every Friday, expect us to sound off on a variety of topics centred around current affairs and the news cycle. We hope you enjoy tuning in as much as we enjoy piecing these together! Drop us a comment anytime, anywhere.

In this week's episode, Rick Hotchner (Ambassador at BraverAngels, former Executive at CIA) and I partake in an expansive discussion surrounding polarisation and the political divide affecting the United States today. We discuss the consequences of mass shootings (including the recent Uvalde incident), his work at Braver Angels as Ambassador, fundamental areas of disagreement between adherents of the American political parties, the impact of economic hardships & communications technology, debate culture, radicalisation in new & old media, systemic racism, Socrates' educational requirements of democracy, cancel culture, finding the elusive 'common ground', and restoring the promise of American liberty. Join us for deep dive into rebuilding America's shaky foundations.

Welcome fellow cynics and please jump in to join your co-hosts Thomas Brancato and Jorge Shaft as we continue our weekly roundup series, Cynical Talk! Every Friday, expect us to sound off on a variety of topics centred around current affairs and the news cycle. This week, we round off our discussion on the British Monarchy. We discuss royal spies and espionage, the monarchy's connection to fascism, maintaining the Crown's PR, tabloid-mania, MI5, Sir Anthony Blunt, their influence on politics and foreign relations, and our concluding thoughts on it. Cynical Talk is a more light-hearted spin on the main M.I.Cynic series, with an impromptu and provocative take on contemporary topics. We hope you enjoy tuning in as much as we enjoy piecing these together! Drop us a comment anytime, anywhere.

Welcome fellow cynics and please jump in to join your co-hosts Thomas Brancato and Jorge Shaft as we unveil the launch of our new weekly roundup series, Cynical Talk! Every Friday, expect us to sound off on a variety of topics centred around current affairs and the news cycle. This week, as we conclude the month of the Platinum Jubilee, we briefly touch down on what the Crown means from a British perspective - how it impacts the national character, politics, history, society, class, economics, and more. Cynical Talk is a more light-hearted take on the main M.I.Cynic series, with a more jovial and less studied take on contemporary topics. We hope you enjoy tuning in as much as we enjoyed piecing these together! Drop us a comment anytime, anywhere.

In this week's episode, Dr. Indu Saxena (Ph.D. in Political Science Rajasthan & Rutgers University, Deputy Director of CIPR), Rushali Saha (Researcher at the Diplomat Risk Intelligence & CIPR, Incoming Visiting Fellow at The Stimson Center) and I round off our conversation on India's contemporary relationship with two powerful neighbours: China and Russia. We discuss the implications and decisions that India would face should China launch a military incursion into Taiwan, Indian preparation for Chinese economic pressure (such as seen in Sri Lanka), security concerns after heightened naval/cyber/aerial/extra-terrestrial competition in the Indo-Pacific, and whether Imperial-historical links with Buddhism might lead to future convergence between China and India. Join us for a deep dive into India's current foreign relations.

In this week's episode, I am joined by Dr. Indu Saxena (Ph.D. in Political Science Rajasthan & Rutgers University, Deputy Director of CIPR, and Rushali Saha (Researcher at the Diplomat Risk Intelligence & CIPR, Incoming Visiting Fellow at The Stimson Center). Together we explore India's contemporary relationship with two powerful neighbours: China and Russia. We discuss the feasibility of a border war with China following military drills last year in Tibet, China's rapid economic build-up and ensuing national interests, the impact of India's stance towards Moscow following the war in Ukraine, and what the implications might be for New Delhi of a multipolar world order in the near future. Join us for a deep dive into India's current foreign relations.

In this week's episode, Matthew Shaw (Ph.D. Candidate at University of St. Mark & St, John) and I round off our conversation on the "Incel" (involuntary celibate) subculture. We discuss the problems stemming from the popular understanding of the Incel movement, the status of gender in their ideology, employing novel methods of transmission. female Incels, policy implications, the effectiveness of deradicalisation programmes, the impact of higher education, and its wider place within our neoliberal society. Join us for a deep dive into the Incel world.

In this week's episode, Matthew Shaw (Ph.D. Candidate at University of St. Mark & St, John) and I explore a new approach towards the "Incel" (involuntary celibate) subculture. By carefully examining high-profile mass shootings, such as the ones committed by Jake Davidson and Elliot Roger, along with new statistical evidence and research on the subject, we challenge many contemporary beliefs and attitudes regarding this social phenomenon. Inevitably, our conversation leads into a broader discussion of modernity, masculinity, feminism, ideology and economics, among others. Join us for a deep dive into the Incel world.

In this week's episode, Dr. Yannick Veilleux-Lepage (Assistant Professor – Terrorism and Political Violence, Leiden University) and I finish our conversation on the changes taking place in today’s extremism. Dr. Lepage considers the implications of transmission, replication and adoption and how they function when applied to the Manchester Arena attack. We discuss the emergence of the new tools of the terrorist trade, such as 3D printed firearms. Lastly, we discuss the prevalence of dehumanisation and possible policies predicated on re-humanisation. Join us for a deep dive into terrorism's mutation.

In this week's episode, Dr. Yannick Veilleux-Lepage (Assistant Professor - Terrorism and Political Violence, Leiden University) and I explore the changes taking place in today's extremism. We discuss the implications of the Utoya island attacks in Norway ten years on, the rise of "white nationalist" and far-right political extremism, where the novelty lies behind today's radical right, and identifying a 'marketplace' where extremist ideas are being exchanged. Join us for a deep dive into the terrorism's mutation.